Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have announced the seizure of a tanker during what they described as a “special operation” in the Gulf of Oman.
According to multiple Iranian media outlets, the vessel involved is believed to be the Ocean Koi, identified by maritime security company Vanguard Tech as the Jin Li, a 72,000-dwt tanker that previously sailed under the Barbados flag.
AIS data from Pole Star Global showed the vessel’s last transmitted position on May 7 in the Gulf of Oman.
Iranian authorities accused the tanker of transporting Iranian oil while allegedly attempting to disrupt the country’s petroleum exports and national economic interests.
The vessel has reportedly been handed over to Iranian judicial authorities.
The Ocean Koi had already appeared on OFAC sanctions lists linked to the so-called “shadow fleet” involved in transporting Iranian crude oil outside international sanctions frameworks.
The seizure highlights the growing instability affecting maritime traffic around the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding regional corridors.
Shipping companies, insurers, and energy traders continue to monitor the situation closely as geopolitical tensions place increasing pressure on global energy supply chains and tanker operations throughout the Gulf region.
